Trials and Tribulations
by Muhammad Sban
Summary: All of us have tribulations in life. But with every trial, we must continue. A look back on the tragic events of Bridge to the Turnabout. Massive Spoilers for Trials and Tribulations. Some light Phaya fluff, but no ship.


**Title: Trials and Tribulations **

**Summary: All of us have our own Trials and Tribulations in life. A look back on the tragic events of Bridge to the Turnabout. **

**Characters: (Phoenix W./Nick, Maya F.), Diego A./Godot, Pearl F. **

**A/N: Happy... or sad Bridge to the Turnabout day! This is the day it's set to begin in the timeline! I hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

Maya Fey walked towards the Inner Temple shed. She shivered as her legs were exposed to the cold air. She trained and this time, she'd make sure she could fully repay her beloved friend.

Maya could've sworn she saw a silhouette. She squinted her eyes.

"Iris? Is that yo-." A hard object came crashing down onto Maya's head. The girl reeled back, stumbling backwards, both in shock and fear. She didn't know what was happening. She couldn't see, she couldn't feel. She just attempted to move her feet back several steps. Maya kept kicking at the snow, causing the other woman to smirk hungrily. _Ahh.. Revenge. It's invigorating nature is only rivaled by the adrenaline of a good fight._

Maya placed her hand on a cold object. She didn't see what it was, and she didn't care. She glanced around and found herself in the Inner Temple Garden. A dark silhouette stood in front of her. Her mind was racing. Her heart rate skyrocketed. The woman was holding some kind of weapon.

Maya identified it as a dagger. Tears began to appear in her eyes. She felt her heart stiffen, her brain stop. Her breaths were shallow, and she began to dip into unconsciousness. It was then that she saw three glowing red lights behind her assailant. _M-M-Mr. G-G-Godot?! _

She used the last of her strength to scream.

"H-HELP!" Her voice was desperate. Her pupils shrunk and her face was cold, not only from the chill of the mountains, but from the fear. She let out a terrified shriek.

A warm liquid found it's way onto her. Maya's eyes were filled with terror. The woman reeled around and swung once. She collapsed to the ground shortly after. Maya passed out. The mask fell off and landed in the nearby snow. He let out a yell of pain and agony.

Godot reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. He had a plan, and he would make it work.

* * *

Phoenix sprinted towards Dusky Bridge. He had just seen Elise Deauxnim's corpse. He leaned over, breathing heavily. He lifted his head and was met with a burning bridge. He reeled back in shock. The smoke burned his eyes, but he couldn't look away no matter what.

"D-Dusky Bridge! It's burning down!" He cried, shaking. What on earth had happened? Wait... "Maya!" It was then that he noticed his childhood friend, who jumped at him, smiling.

"What are you doing here?" He smiled happily.

"AAAH! Don't scare me like that, Larry." Phoenix reeled back.

"Wh-What!" Larry stared at him, sadly.

"Listen Larry, I have to get across."

"C'mon man, be serious! The bridge is a burning wreck right now!" Larry proclaimed, stating an obvious fact, earning the young attorney a few questions of his sanity.

"Listen, there's been a murder! HERE! At Hazakura Temple!" His childhood friend reeled back as the gravity of the situation dawned on him. He stared compassionately at his childhood friend.

"Wh-What!"

Then, Phoenix's worst nightmares came to his mind. _What if the killer fled across? Killed Maya? No! He couldn't think that way! She had to be safe! _

The image of a bloodied Maya popped into his head. He saw himself kneel to her side and Gumshoe having to drag him kicking and screaming. He was snapped back into reality, and turned to face his childhood friend.

"The murderer must've fled across the bridge! I have to get across! I have to make sure she's safe! Maya! Get out of my way, Larry!" He delivered a hard shove to his childhood friend's chest, knocking him to the side into the snow. Even Larry knew that was uncharacteristically bold of Phoenix. _What a hero, Nick! _

"Wait!" Larry watched as the young lawyer began to navigate the wreck of a bridge, attempting to avoid grasping flaming wood for stability. He jumped onto a charred plank. It snapped, and he fell through the open hole. He let out a terrified scream.

"AAAAAH!"

"NIIIIIIIIIICCKK!" Larry might've been the most ridiculed one in their group, but he knew he had to do something. He ran to the phone and dialed the police phone number. He followed that up by dialing the number of his other childhood friend, beckoning his return to the States.

* * *

"Wright? What happened? Larry didn't tell me much, as per usual. Yet, for once he was right. 'He took a pretty nasty spill', was it?"

"E-Ed-dgew-w-w-worth *cough*," said Phoenix, determined as ever, unchanged from his ridiculous shivering. Edgeworth gave him a glance of concern.

"W-Wright? I can tell whatever you did, you have no regrets about it," said Edgeworth. Phoenix spoke immediately.

"I ran across a burning bridge," said Phoenix. He spared no time in taking a mental note of Edgeworth's shocked face.

"Why?" Phoenix coughed several times, before answering.

"There was a murder at the temple and Maya was on the other side of the burning bridge. I had to get across and make sure the murderer didn't get to her," said Phoenix.

"Wright... Did you even consider the dangers?!"

"I don't care what you think Edgeworth. What's done is done, and I don't have any regrets," said Phoenix. Edgeworth nodded.

"I can clearly see," said Edgeworth.

"C-c-can I ask a favor of you Edgeworth? I want you to take these two items," said Phoenix, handing him the Magatama first.

"Wh-what is this?," asked Edgeworth.

"A Magatama. You can use this to see into people's hearts," said Phoenix ",And this..." He handed Edgeworth his most prized possession. His eyes widened.

"Y-you want me to go meet with Larry?" asked Edgeworth. Phoenix nodded. _That damn fool...If he's truly handing me his attorney's badge nonchalantly either one of two things is true. Either he's truly gone mad as Larry believes... _he shuddered, as he considered Larry's possibility. _Or he trusts me enough with his badge. I need to go to the detention center._

"Farewell, Wright," said Edgeworth. Phoenix nodded, trying not to open his mouth to avoid another coughing spat.

* * *

Maya Fey is on the witness stand. The witness stand. The stand she's seen so many people be destroyed and so many people be built up. She's seen people too traumatized to talk on the stand, she's seen people too cocky to refuse. Now, it was her turn. Her gaze rested upon Phoenix Wright. The man who she had watched do it all. Now, he was going to break her defenses and reach for the truth at all costs. _N-Nick, please! _

She testifies, sparing no grisly detail except for the most important. Phoenix picks up on several contradictions almost immediately, much to the chagrin of the new Kurain Master. She keeps trying to hide it. She had to hide it! Maya Fey was no liar. She was no secret-keeper. Yet, this one secret she had to carry to the grave.

She had several feelings rush through her all at once as the familiar index finger is thrust at her. This time, she's watching at a different angle. The tears sparkle in her eyes. Was it sadness? No, this man had inspired much happiness in Maya Fey. Fear? It could be. No, it was nostalgia. Nostalgia at the days they had together. They flashed in her eyes. Eating burgers at the offices, investigating crime scenes, it was all nostalgic.

She wondered if she could go back to that after this. _Would he still trust her, even after all she hid just then? _

The accusation was made. Phoenix's finger was thrust at the opposing bench. He had named Godot as the murderer of Misty Fey. She shivered. She was so... cold. So small. It was worse than on that night. There, she could've ran. She could've fought back. She could've done so many things. Here, she was powerless. She was powerless to stop the truth from coming out.

**The truth takes priority above all else. Never forget this, Maya. **

Her sister's words fly into her mind. _The truth takes priority? B-but, the truth can't be revealed here! _

Phoenix snaps her out of her thoughts, leaving her awestruck. He tells her to, no, he begs her to tell the truth. She faces him and sees the desperation on his face. He banked it all on her testimony, and she is trying to hinder him. No, she would testify to what she knew.

She delivers her final testimony and Phoenix presents his decisive evidence. Godot is cornered and she knows it. She did this. It was her choice that lead to this, and hers alone. Phoenix reeled his arm back to deliver the coup de grace. It's then, she sees a familiar silhouette standing beside the young lawyer.

It is Mia Fey. Her sister. The one who sheltered and nurtured her for almost all of her life. Mia Fey, her sister who she can't see very often. The tears she'd been viciously trying to wipe away spilled over. She couldn't contain them anymore. It took all of her willpower to prevent her from becoming a blubbering mess.

Both lawyers thrust their fingers forward, and from the past to present, the case is resolved. Godot then goes on to claim the murder was selfish of him. _No! That's not right! _

"M-Mr. Armando! I-I believe in you!" She boldly proclaims. He looks taken aback for a moment before stilling himself. A single streak of red flows down his face. She's shocked. She can't say anything. She can only cry. She wipes her tears away with her sleeve, forcing herself to stare at the prosecutor.

"The only time a lawyer can cry..., is when it's all over." Maya can only nod as she begins to step away from the stand and watch the remainder of the trial.

"This time, it really is all over, isn't it?" Says the Judge. He gives Maya a look of concern, which Maya appreciates. She turns to see Phoenix, giving her a glance of worry. She nods, trying to mask her sadness, but it's all a ruse. The trial ends. A Not Guilty Verdict. _The end of an era. It feels like an era just ended, and a new one is coming in rapidly. _

* * *

The case ended. The night of celebration had ended. Maya Fey smiled through it all, chiming in through conversation and the likes. She enjoyed herself, but her pain was far from gone. She crawls into her bed, and begins to cry. First a few tears, then she's wailing loudly. _Way to go, Maya. It's not all over. I can't cry. I need to stay strong. _

But it doesn't stop. The tears don't stop. She can't stop them. Misty Fey was dead. Her mother was gone. No matter how many times she convinces herself it's not all over, the tears keep coming. So she cries to herself until she's asleep. The emotions she bottled up that day were all coming out then.

* * *

A month passes, and she continues having nightmares. One day, she goes to pay a visit to Phoenix.

"Maya!"

"N-Nick, I-I," says Maya. Phoenix senses that something is off, but doesn't make any moves. She sits down on the couch beside him.

"Maya? What's wrong?"

"I-I'm still having nightmares from that horrible case, Nick. I'm still not over it," says Maya. She wills herself not to cry, and she succeeds.

"Maya, you can cry. You just need someone to talk to. Your emotions are dangerous when bottled up," says Phoenix.

"H-how did you?"

"Maya, you've been off this past month. You've been dozing off, I've noticed the bags under your eyes. You can let yourself cry, Maya. Pearls isn't here." She tries to stop herself, but it's too late. She jumps at the young lawyer and pulls him into a tight hug. The tears start to flow and drip onto the blue suit. She tries to speak, but she can't.

"You don't need to say anything, Maya. Just let it all out." She continues crying, and he continues to comfort her.

* * *

**A/N: Holy crap, I was a workaholic when I was trying to write this chapter. I wanted to catch Bridge to the Turnabout weekend. So yes, I hope you enjoyed this chapter written mostly when I was half asleep. Cheers! **


End file.
